M. Ward
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| M. Ward | |
|---|---|
 M. Ward performing at The Bonnaroo Festival on June 11th, 2005 |
|
| Origin | Newbury Park, California |
| Country | USA |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Merge Records Matador Records |
| Website(s) | http://www.mwardmusic.com http://www.postward.com |
Matt Ward, known by his stage name M. Ward, is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who, until Summer 2006 was part of the music scene of Portland, Oregon. He has since relocated to New Hampshire. Ward was previously a member of the band Rodriguez with Kyle Field of Little Wings. The album, Swing Like a Metronome, was released in 2000 and produced by Jason Lytle from Grandaddy. His solo debut Duet for Guitars #2 was released by Howe Gelb on his Ow Om record label. Ward's 2001 album, End of Amnesia, was put out by Future Farmer Records and his subsequent albums have been released on Merge Records.
A collection of live recordings, Live Music & The Voice of Strangers, was a self-released disc that was sold at his shows. He has guested on recent recordings by Cat Power; Beth Orton with whom he co-wrote the title track to her album In The Comfort Of Strangers; The Court & Spark; Bright Eyes, with whom he toured on the 2004 Vote For Change tour with R.E.M. and Bruce Springsteen; Jenny Lewis for whom he co-produced her debut solo album Rabbit Fur Coat; and My Morning Jacket. In 2006, he contributed a song to, and helped produce, the John Fahey tribute album, I Am the Resurrection.
In 2004 Ward played guitar for Bright Eyes on a taping of The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. During the performance Bright Eyes' singer Conor Oberst yelled out "M.Ward for President!" prompting Newsweek magazine to run an article on Ward and his next album Transistor Radio (2005).
Ward's latest album Post-War was described in a Vanity Fair story of August 2006 as thematic on the question "how will America heal once this craziness in Iraq is over?" Ward said in that article that he looked to the postwar music of the late 1940s and 50s. "I had the naive, simplistic idea that producers and writers and artists of the time helped in a minuscule way to change the mind-set of America". The album was released on Merge Records on August 29, 2006. It features cameo performances from Howe Gelb, Jim James and Neko Case.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Duet for Guitars #2 (2000)
- End of Amnesia (2001)
- Live Music & The Voice of Strangers (2001)
- Transfiguration of Vincent (2003)
- Transistor Radio (2005)
- Post-War (2006)
[edit] EPs
- Scene From #12 (I Ain't Sleeping) (2002)
- To Go Home (2007)
